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September 10, 2008

G145: Rays 4, Red Sox 2 (14)

Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson, Manny Delcarmen, and Javier Lopez held the line against the Rays for 7.1 innings (a combined 7.1-3-0-4-6 line), but the Boston bats could not push a single run across the plate to either take the lead or win the game. And so, finally, in the 14th inning, Mike Timlin trotted in from the pen.

He came into the 1-1 game with no one on and one out. He got the second out on his first pitch, a ground ball to third. Then Akinori Iwamura smacked a 3-0 pitch into center for a hit. Timlin got a swinging strike on Rocco Baldelli, but surrendered a line drive single to left. Still, all Timlin needed was one out.

Carlos Pena looked at a ball, then lofted a pitch high and deep to the opposite field. Jason Bay tracked it to his right in left field, but could only watch as the ball disappeared into the Monster Seats. The three-run dong gave Tampa a 4-1 lead. ... After a walk, Old Yeller got the final out.

Jacoby Ellsbury (0-for-6 to that point) began the bottom half of the 14th with a double to right-center off Troy Percival. Dustin Pedroia walked on five pitches (FY reached base six times tonight) and David Ortiz walked on four. With the potential winning run at the plate, Joe Maddon yanked Percival and went with Jason Hammel.

Youkils worked a full count before hitting a routine fly ball to right. Lyndon scored and FY took third. Bay looked overmatched, eventually striking out by lunging at an outside pitch he could not have reached with an oar. That left the Sox's fate in the hands of Alex Cora -- who hacked on 2-0 and flew harmlessly to center.

Lost among the late-inning action was the positively horrific umpiring, especially Dan Iassogna behind the plate. His strike zone to left-handed hitters -- especially Red Sox left-handed hitters -- grew an extra foot outside. And Ron Kulpa blew an easy call at first base in the bottom of the ninth, when Ellsbury beat out a grounder to third. It would have given Pedroia a chance to bat with the bases loaded, but Kulpa's incorrect call (replays showed he clearly blew it) ended the inning.

Boston fell back to 2.5 GB in the East -- with 17 games remaining. The Twins beat the Royals 7-1 to move 5 GB in the wild card. The Angels clinched the AL West with a 4-2> win over the Yankees and the White Sox edged the Blue Jays 6-5.

The BR preview says Beckett has never faced the Rays, but that's not true. He has made eight starts against them: three in 2006 (May 25, July 3, and September 27), two in 2007 (July 5 and September 21) and three times this year (April 27, May 3, and June 4).

924 comments:

Today I'm expecting... A fucking bludgeoning. A massacre upon the Rays. At least 10 runs. Large bullpen involvement for the Rays. The Red Sox will then abuse the Jays starting Friday. They'll win the division. They'll win the World Series. THEY WILL RULE THE WORLD. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Watching Sonnanstine pitch is so perplexing. How does this guy get anybody out? He reminds me of that trainwreck jackass that we picked up a couple years ago Jason Johnson although Sonn has a little better breaking stuff. Sox should destroy him and as ish said get into their pen early.

I have to go teach (booo...), but my daughter and her friends are at Fenway tonight, sitting on the Green Monster. Look for the cutest girl there, and that will be her (not that I am biased or anything).

I've been at Lake George for several days. Had a good time but not much baseball. So I'm looking forward to a little JoS, then getting off work and seeing how things are at The Bar (much the same, I suspect).

It's been gratifying to make up so much ground on TB with so little hand-wringing on my part. But I feel pretty comfortable. Heck, coolstandings gives us the greater % chance to win the Division than the Rays, and that's including last night's loss.

It seems like Sonnanstine has shown flashes of brilliance. But I won't go against any predictions of doom for him tonight.

oh, for L, later, and everyone else. I realized that I didn't start calling Hinske "Natasha" just because of the rhyming last name. It's also because you hear "Kinski" in the name. Like, Era Kinske. Hence, Natasha.

well i think he would have least got his body near it which means he has a shot. if its a good shot at it or not, thats a different issue. what the real issue is:OUR LINEUP NEEDS TO STOP HAVING AT BATS LIKE A BUNCH OF PUSSIES

Looks like Tampa's already won the division. (They have one for Sox winning wild card but no division one. Whereas they have a page for a Twins and White Sox division champion coin. Better start workin' on the Red Sox division one...)

BTW, I just got from vacation climbing mountains in Glacier Nat'l Park. They don't have TV or newspapers in Glacier, so I had no idea what was going on all week. When I got back home, I saw the Red Sox were only 1 1/2 games out. It looks like they could've been 1/2 game in first.Oh ... and the Yuckees are in fourth??!!Bwahahahahaha!!!!!